LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 February 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is understood that fireblight is once more prevalent in the Whakatan© district.

A Melbourne message stated that the damage done to the Town Hall by file was estimated •at £66,000. AH the civic records were saved.

The secretary of the Winter Show, Mr L. O. Hooker, lias been advised that the 1925 annual meeting of the National Dairy Association will be held in Hawera on Tuesday, June 30.

An Auckland Press Association message stated that a rumour that there were cases of smallpox on board the Niagara proved to be unfounded, tor the vessel arrived a clean ship. Additional reports to hand regarding applications for extensions of mortgages under the Mortgages Final Extension Act show that 50 were lodged at Wellington, 10 at Timaru, and 90 at Napier.

Very cordial appreciation was expressed at the annual meeting of the Men’s Golf Club last night of the effort made by Mr L. O. Hooker in running an art union which resulted in a sum of £334 being raised to help the finances of the club.

The building of the Boy Scouts’ Hall and new Plunket rooms is now well under way, the contractor (Mr Burrell) having made good progress. Two rooms in the front of the building will have a separate entrance, , and will he for the exclusive use of the Plunket Society, while the Boy Scouts will have the main hall, to which there will he access by a side room, and two, back rooms.

A Masonic party of American tourists arrived at Auckland yesterday by the Niagara to tour the North Island. They left from San Francisco. There are‘forty-two in the party. They will visit Axistralia before returning home, by which time it is anticipated. they will have spent £IO,OOO. It is understood that the party will visit Taranaki, including a trip to Mt. Egmont in their itinerary.

The many friends of Mr ,T. Casserley, of Normanby, will regret to hear of a painful accident that happened to him on his farm last week. He had been felling a tree, and as it was falling it swung round unexpectedly and caught him before he could get clear, breaking a leg rather badly. Medical attention was secured, and the limb was set. He is progressing satisfactorily, but-it will be some considerable time before he will he able to get about once more. As a result of his unseemly behaviour while in an intoxicated condition in Union Street last evening, Robert Coffey had to appear at the Hawera Magistrate’s Court this morning and make the unpleasant discovery that his night out with “John Barleycorn” had cost him at least £2 10s in one direction. Constable Fleming, who appeared for the police, said that Coffey, who had been arrested at 8.20 p.m. in Union Street by Constable Lemm, was charged with drunkenness and with casting offensive matter in a public place. Mr. J. G. Osborne, J.P., on the bench, made no comment, but fined defendant 10s on the first charge and £2 on the second. 1 Now Zealanders who travel abroad are often surprised to discover how littl ( ? other countries know about- the Dominion. But a journal like United Kim pi re, the organ of the Royal' Colonial Institute, can reasonably be expected to know more about the geography of the Dominions than the December issue suggests it does- (says the Auckland Star). In a paragraph recording the opening of the Mangahao hydro-electric station, it states that “the water supply for the Mangahao works is derived from four separate sources, i.e., the Horohoro rapids and the Arannni rapids o.n the Waikato River, the Mangahao River, and Lake Waikato. It- is estimated that the supply from these sourees will he 174,000 h.p.” Prices for cotton, silk and wool have advanced, hut during the end-of-season sale Harrop’s prices are lower than ever, This is your opportunity to restock at prices much below normal values. —Harrops Ltd.

A Wanganui carrier states that two years ago. there were 43 carriers on the stand, and all making a fairly good living. At the present time there are only 13, which shows how privatelyowned lorries of firms has out into the carrying business.

The increase in petrol prices referred to in the cablegrams from New York has not yet extended to the Dominions. An advance in the New Zealand price, it is reported, will only be made if the export values are permanently increased in America. Auckland merchants engaged in the oil business state that the information contained in the cablegram was the first intimation that petrol prices were likely to he increased.

Mr E. Long, chairman of the Waimate West County Council, lias received a reply from the Minister’ of Public Works regarding the protest made by the Council with regard to toll gates. Mr Coates’ telegram was: “He protest against retention of toll gates. Your telegram received and contents noted. That matter will receive consideration.”

The Australian Olympic team was accompanied to Paris by four well-known Sydney amateur swimmers who assisted in its preparation for the games. They have now lost their amateur status, because they acted as masseurs and were paid for their services by the manager of the Australian team. They had been consistent workers for all branches of amateur sport, and it is thought they unwittingly forfeited their amateur status. Three of them were also wellknown Rugby players.

The days of grace allowed for the registration of motor vehicles under the new Act expired on Saturday last, hut a comparison of the total number registered up to date at the Hawera post office with the total “live” registrations on the county roll at the time of the closing of the old Oct lead one to simpose that there are many motorists who are now, running the risk of prosecution. In all 1039 vehicles have been registered at the Hawera post office up to date, 48 of these ergistrations having been effected since Saturday.

To a Taranaki Herald reporter Dr. Blackley, who returned from a. trip to the Old Country .a few day® ago, made interesting referen.ce to the medical profession. He said they still ran their voluntary subscription hospitals, but were going in much more for scientific equipment, specialising' in various branches. The standard of the general practitioner at Home, which, he had considered very much lower than in, New Zealand, had certainly improved, particularly in country tojvns. The profession, had been rather crowded since the war, particularly in the case of women. The lady, doctor filled her place, but at Home she too found her opportunities were rather limited and dozens of lady doctors were doing other work because they could not get work in the profession.

“The people of Southland have not done a tenth of what they should do in the planting of trees throughout the province,” said Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice, speaking at the St. Andrew’s. Scottish Society Festival at Invercargill. “Scotland made a great recovery from poverty and famine in - the 18th century,” he continued, “and one of their methods of regaining prosperity was the planting of trees, which in time supplied them with shelter for their stock, with timber for their homes, and with fuel. I think that the planting of trees should he carried out on a large scale in Southland.” Possession would appear to be even more than nine points, of the law in the Sudan, judging by an incident described by the Governor-General (MajorGeneral Sir Charles Fergnsson) at the New Zealand Club luncheon in Wellington last week (says the Evening Post). He related a story of a young Sudanese woman who appealed to the British Administration authorities for a decision in respect to a sore domestic trouble. She explained that she had been married to a man of a certain tribe, but that shortly afterwards a member of another tribe who loved her raided the village at dawn, and after a desperate conflict, bore her away to his camp. She did not mind that, she oaid, hut the man she had married carried out a. similar raid, and she was carried back again. This, she said, had gone on. for .six months. She did not care which •was. to be her husband, but she wanted it to be settled once and for all which of the two tribesmen it was to be. '